The Harwood Institutehttp://www.theharwoodinstitute.org
Wed, 29 Jul 2015 14:38:46 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1Harwood Institute in Cass County Now About New Atlanta Community Conversationshttp://www.theharwoodinstitute.org/2015/07/harwood-institute-in-cass-county-now-about-new-atlanta-community-conversations/
http://www.theharwoodinstitute.org/2015/07/harwood-institute-in-cass-county-now-about-new-atlanta-community-conversations/#commentsWed, 29 Jul 2015 14:38:46 +0000andrewhttp://www.theharwoodinstitute.org/?p=10083Library to host Dream On Thursday Forum invites public comment on what would make Atlanta area better By Robin Aaron raaron@casscountynow.com

A unique event will take place this week at the Atlanta Public Library. The event called Dream On will be hosted to hopefully bring people together for a thoughtful conversation about the Atlanta [...]

Forum invites public comment on what would make Atlanta area better

By Robin Aaron

A unique event will take place this week at the Atlanta Public Library. The event called Dream On will be hosted to hopefully bring people together for a thoughtful conversation about the Atlanta Area and what would make it a better place to live.

Anyone is welcome, not just Atlanta residents, and organizers hope to provide an open and honest environment for people to express their thoughts and concerns.

Library Director Jackie Icenhower and two of her advisory board members, Laura Comer and Fern Porter will conduct the forum and have received training in doing so by the Harwood Institute.

According to the institute’s mission statement, The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation is a nonpartisan, independent nonprofit that teaches, coaches and inspires people and organizations to solve pressing problems and change how communities work together. The Institute has worked across the U.S. and increasingly around the world and has partnered with some of the world’s largest nonprofits, including United Way Worldwide, AARP, the American Library Association, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and others.

GUEST COLUMN: Colorado Springs is writing a new story

By Rich Harwood

July 19, 2015

Last month, I spent time in Colorado Springs, and while there I heard a story of renewal about the community that’s worth following. It’s about a community taking action to place itself on a new path. How people are doing this is as important as what they are doing.

In April 2014, I spoke in Colorado Springs. My host was Pikes Peak United Way. The goal was to sound a message that it’s time to make community a common enterprise again.

Over 250 leaders turned out – a sign of just how hungry people were to take a new direction. The Gazette ran a story at the time with the headline: “Political hostility hurts Colorado Springs, many say.” Indeed the narrative of the community was that change wasn’t possible in part because of leaders and groups refusing to work together.

A few weeks ago, I returned to Colorado Springs to keynote the United Way community celebration. In just 12 months, the community is making its way down a new path.

There’s a growing spirit of collaboration; you can hear the beginnings of an alternate “can-do” community narrative. No one action has brought about this emerging shift; rather, there have been separate efforts pointing in a common direction. For instance:

- Nearly 50 organizations are working to provide mentoring to the community’s youth.

- The effort to address homelessness has shifted. Community conversations have confirmed that those experiencing homelessness share common aspirations with the community. Initiatives have begun to address the priorities: increase shelter beds; create a day center to deliver services more effectively. And all have accepted the challenge to end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015.

- Different segments of the community are coming together to find ways to make the community more business friendly and vibrant.

These actions build on previous efforts, including an initiative to ensure that all third-graders can read at grade level – a key indicator for a child’s future success in life.

Pikes Peak United Way has played an important role in helping the community move forward. Last year, it launched community conversations to ask residents about their shared aspirations for the community, the challenges they saw in achieving those aspirations, and what progress could look like. The point of these discussions was not to educate the community or sell a predetermined plan. Instead a space was created for people to articulate the kind of community they want in the words that have meaning for them. As CEO Jason Wood said, “We are excited that Pikes Peak United Way can contribute as a convener and mobilizer and we are optimistic that our Cradle to Career community conversations are making an impact that will ultimately move us forward.”

Well, I’m not actually for Donald Trump, I am for someone clearly repudiating what he has said and – even more importantly – offering a true alternative that is not the result of careful focus group tests, surveying which way the [...]

Well, I’m not actually for Donald Trump, I am for someone clearly repudiating what he has said and – even more importantly – offering a true alternative that is not the result of careful focus group tests, surveying which way the wind is blowing and political consultants, but reflective of the kind of country we are trying to build together.

That shouldn’t be too much to ask. But will it happen?

Trump and his offensive rhetoric and positions have taken the country by storm, and there is growing worry about the collateral damage he’ll wreak on our politics and public affairs. And yet I don’t count myself among those who worry. Here’s why: Whether intentionally or not, Trump has set down a challenge to all those who seek to be president and those who wish to lead. The question is, “Who will answer the challenge with clarity and conviction rather than hand-wringing or even cowering?”

Trump is tapping into a reservoir of real, deeply-felt frustration within a segment of the American people who believe their country is spinning out of control, and who fear that they and what they cherish will be left behind. As he makes his way across the country, his crowds grow in number and intensity. Just a week ago in Arizona, 4,200 people waited for hours in 100-degree heat to attend his rally, with many others left outside, unable to secure a seat. This we must recognize as important.

But in his presidential campaign kick-off, he said that Mexico is bringing “drugs, crime and rapists” to the U.S. In Arizona, he doubled-down, stating: “These are people that shouldn’t be in our country. They flow in like water.” A man in the crowd then yelled out, “Build a wall!” Then let’s not forget his most recent disturbing comments about Arizona Sen. John McCain and his time as a POW in Vietnam.

It’s easy to dismiss Trump and his antics. He’s like the carnival barker whose only goal is to gain attention in order to gin up ticket sales. But before we choose to willy-nilly write-off Trump, or say his support will naturally top-out, or hope for his carnival to leave town before it causes any more damage, he deserves our undivided attention.

Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, recently called Trump in hopes of getting him to “tone down” his comments. And the Huffington Post just announced on Friday that it would no longer cover Trump as part of its political coverage and only report on him in its Entertainment section. But I say, let him go. Let him speak out. When he does, our leaders must not turn away. Instead, they must turn outward toward him – and more importantly, toward the American people.

By his words and actions, Trump is challenging all candidates and leaders to spell out their view of a changing America with clarity and conviction. If one doesn’t like Trump’s perspective, then what is their alternate vision? Who is to be part of it? What kind of America should we be seeking to create? And how is it that people’s concerns about the future can be addressed?

The debate over immigration has been driven by bumper sticker slogans and divisive rhetoric. Now Trump has generated a new opening for leaders to try to knit together seemingly disparate segments of the country to forge a more perfect union in a decidedly imperfect world.

Indeed, the goal ought not to be silencing Trump. Nor should it be simply to denounce him. Because silencing or denouncing him does not mean that a more hopeful message will be sounded; it only means that Trump will not be heard. Who will step forward, not simply to condemn Trump, but to offer a real alternative?

In Arizona, Trump told the crowd, “We have to take back the heart of the country.” It’s time for our presidential candidates and leaders to express their own hearts before too many hearts in the country harden in the midst of fear.

]]>http://www.theharwoodinstitute.org/2015/07/why-im-not-worried-about-donald-trump/feed/18Rich Harwood in the Huffington Post on the Charleston Shootinghttp://www.theharwoodinstitute.org/2015/07/rich-harwood-in-the-huffington-post-on-the-charleston-shooting/
http://www.theharwoodinstitute.org/2015/07/rich-harwood-in-the-huffington-post-on-the-charleston-shooting/#commentsThu, 02 Jul 2015 21:08:38 +0000andrewhttp://www.theharwoodinstitute.org/?p=10048Charleston and Our Need for a Change of Heart The Huffington Post by Richard C. Harwood July 2, 2015

State Senator Paul Thurmond, the youngest son of former U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond, once the standard-bearer of the Old South, recently stood on the [...]

The Huffington Post

by Richard C. Harwood

July 2, 2015

State Senator Paul Thurmond, the youngest son of former U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond, once the standard-bearer of the Old South, recently stood on the floor of the South Carolina Senate and delivered a speech calling for the Confederate flag to be removed from the State Capitol.

He, like others in South Carolina, had a change of heart. He, like others, said it was crystallized by the horrific killings at Emanuel AME Church, in which the lives of nine people were taken, including his state Senate colleague Clementa Pinckney.

In other words, he and others had their personal walls of protection punctured, walls that often serve to keep at bay the cries and experiences of others. Only when these walls are breached can one’s heart be touched in new ways. Only when these walls come down can we truly see and hear one another.

There is something distinctly human about a change of heart. It cannot be legislated. Nor dictated. And it never can be coerced. It comes only from within us; authored directly by each of us. And yet it is often prompted by something outside of us. Something we see or experience anew. Something we come to understand differently. Something that stirs a latent feeling within us.

State Senator Paul Thurmond, the youngest son of former U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond, once the standard-bearer of the Old South, recently stood on the floor of the South Carolina Senate and delivered a speech calling for the Confederate flag to be [...]

State Senator Paul Thurmond, the youngest son of former U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond, once the standard-bearer of the Old South, recently stood on the floor of the South Carolina Senate and delivered a speech calling for the Confederate flag to be removed from the State Capitol.

He, like others in South Carolina, had a change of heart. He, like others, said it was crystallized by the horrific killings at Emanuel AME Church, in which the lives of nine people were taken, including his state Senate colleague Clementa Pinckney.

In other words, he and others had their personal walls of protection punctured, walls that often serve to keep at bay the cries and experiences of others. Only when these walls are breached can one’s heart be touched in new ways. Only when these walls come down can we truly see and hear one another.

There is something distinctly human about a change of heart. It cannot be legislated. Nor dictated. And it never can be coerced. It comes only from within us; authored directly by each of us. And yet it is often prompted by something outside of us. Something we see or experience anew. Something we come to understand differently. Something that stirs a latent feeling within us.

Indeed, it should not take this kind of senseless tragedy for such a change to occur within us. The question before us though is how do we move forward so that people continue to gain confidence that change is possible, that we can in fact come together and get things done that matter?

We have all heard the calls for action in the aftermath of the recent killings in Charleston, Baltimore, New York City, and Ferguson, among other places. They run the gamut: from possible policy changes in gun laws to more support for early childhood education and mental health to shifts in community policing.

Such calls have only grown louder with each passing incident. All the while, many others in our communities continue to die each day from violence, except their plights will never be known to the rest of us. They often die alone in silence.

But as I have watched events in South Carolina over the past week, I am convinced we must do something beyond the recent calls for action: mobilize good will. In fact, this may be the most important step of all.

We have seen the power of this approach in South Carolina. The brave acts of forgiveness toward the shooter from those who lost loved ones. The rallies made up of South Carolinians from all walks of life. The change of heart of political leaders – from state Senator Paul Thurmond to Governor Nikki Haley to U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham.

When I use word “mobilize” I know that it can immediately imply organizing people to participate in letter writing campaigns or sign online petitions or become advocates for a certain policy change. Such activities have their place.

But they are not what I have in mind, at least not in this instance. Instead, our task is to produce opportunities for people to interact on a human scale. Small and local is where these actions need to start – where people can regain their footing, confidence, and ability to do things together. In the midst of all the policy debates that will undoubtedly continue, we can make this happen now.

Recent tragedies in South Carolina and elsewhere have created this opening. Only when we take it, can we tear down the walls of protection and give rise to a change of heart.

Colorado Springs Gazette

By Jakob Rodgers

June 4, 2015

The Pikes Peak United Way announced its most recent fundraising haul Thursday.

The nonprofit raised nearly $5.8 million since July 1, 2014, an increase of about $80,000 from the previous fiscal year, said Jason Wood, the nonprofit’s president and chief executive.

The money will go toward funding nearly all of the organization’s operations, which include funding other nonprofits and operating the 2-1-1 program – a hotline connecting people in need with agencies that can help.

Pikes Peak United Way officials announced the haul during its annual fundraising luncheon. It included a speech by Rich Harwood of The Harwood Institute, who implored community leaders to overcome their differences and build the community as partners.

Colorado Springs Gazette

May 30, 2015

The man who helped Pikes Peak United Way sharpen its focus is returning to town a year later, even as the nonprofit celebrates its partnerships and community projects.

Rich Harwood, president and CEO of the Harwood Institute, will speak at the agency’s Community Celebration Luncheon on Thursday.

The institute’s philosophy has inspired the nonprofit to reclaim the community one project at a time, said Jason Wood, president and CEO of United Way.

“Pikes Peak United Way is in the business of changing lives and making greater impact. We are more than just a fundraiser; we are a convener around issues that matter in our community,” Wood said.

“We’ve had 105 organizations working with us over this process,” he said. “Those that started with us are still engaged in the process.”

During more than 50 “community conversations” in 2013 and 2014, people voiced their hopes for the city.

Then Harwood arrived and challenged the community to end its divisiveness, change its narrative and do business differently.

Discussions with more than 40 task force members, from business, education, foundations, government and the military, created a vision that led to focus areas on needed career education and skills and creating jobs and economic development.

Inner Sydney Voice

By Brian Smith

People want to make a difference but often don’t see wh at they can do that will amount to anything significant. Brian Smith explores the work of The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation that is now being adopted in Australia.

It’s no secret that people are frustrat­ed with politics and public life. This is as true in the USA as it is in Aus­tralia. We are all tired of acrimony and divisiveness and nothing getting done about the problems that affect every­day people.

There is also a growing sense in our society that too many organisations, institutions and leaders are more focused on their own good than the common good. While there are no easy answers to these challenges, there are ways to get our communities on a different path.

Based in Bethesda, just outside Washington DC, The Harwood Insti­tute for Public Innovation was founded by Richard Harwood in 1988. After working on more than 20 political campaigns, earning a Master’s in Public Affairs from Princeton, and working for two highly respected non-profits, Rich, then 27, set out to create some­thing entirely different.

He was disappointed and impatient with non-profits with laudable missions but little real affection for the community or taking on the toughest challenges, and political campaigns that no longer sought to repair breaches but instead sought to win at any cost. In response to these discouraging trends, he set out to develop a highly-entrepreneurial approach to tackling tough issues and making society work better, while still operating with the highest integrity and ethics.

Read the full article: http://innersydneyvoice.org.au/pub/turning-outwards-to-listen-to-communities/

]]>http://www.theharwoodinstitute.org/2015/05/harwood-institute-in-inner-sydney-voice/feed/0Libraries: Protectors of the Common Goodhttp://www.theharwoodinstitute.org/2015/05/libraries-protectors-of-the-common-good/
http://www.theharwoodinstitute.org/2015/05/libraries-protectors-of-the-common-good/#commentsThu, 21 May 2015 11:44:47 +0000andrewhttp://www.theharwoodinstitute.org/?p=9988

Just this past week, my colleagues and I spent three days training 100 librarians from north Texas to be public innovators as part of a partnership with the Texas Library and Archives Commission. By the [...]

]]>Just this past week, my colleagues and I spent three days training 100 librarians from north Texas to be public innovators as part of a partnership with the Texas Library and Archives Commission. By the end of May, we’ll train upwards of 300 librarians statewide. These librarians – already doing important work in their communities – are now equipped to go even broader and deeper in their community efforts.

As I said to these librarians last week, I am convinced that at no other point in my lifetime have communities needed libraries more than they do now. So why then are they under assault? And where is our vocal, vigorous support for them? Across the country, library funding is being mercilessly cut.

In Kentucky many counties are looking at 60%–70% cuts and in Miami-Dade, Florida there is a $20 million budget deficit for the 2015 fiscal year to fund the county’s 49 branches. And in New Jersey, Governor Christie recommended the funding levels for library programs in the 2015 State Budget remain as it was in 2011. Overall, even with signs of economic recovery, many libraries across the country continue to be faced with statewide budget cuts, branch closings, and limitations in maintaining federal funding. These cuts lead to shorter hours, fewer services and diminished positive effects on communities and children.

Sadly, it seems many political leaders view libraries as a “nice” community amenity that is to be supported only when we can afford it. But that’s a dangerous march of folly. The reality is that libraries are an essential part of communities we can’t afford to lose.

I know making this case may sound quaint. No doubt many of us have a happy picture in our mind of the smiling librarian reading to us as children or helping us find a book deep in the stacks. But there’s nothing nostalgic or soft-hearted about the case to be made for libraries. There are more than 15,000 public libraries in the U.S., and public opinion surveys consistently show that they’re the most trusted of community institutions, second only to local police departments.

At a time in our society when we can be consumed about our own good, we need libraries as front-line creators of the common good. Indeed libraries are central to us making community a common enterprise again – where we care about the health of our community, where we innovate to create new pathways forward, and where people have the opportunity to fulfill their God-given potential. Libraries have the potential to span boundaries by bringing people and groups together across dividing lines and helping to address common challenges in a way that strengthens the civic and social fabric of our communities.

In Youngstown, Ohio, the public library provides financial literacy classes to individuals so they and their families can become economically self-sufficient and have a real shot at the American Dream. In Burlington, KY, the library has created a EARN SPEND SAVE program to engages kids, teens and adults with a series of year-long workshops with practical financial programs. The Spartanburg, S.C., library has a new center for local teens where after school they do their homework, learn new skills and hang out, all safe and supervised and off the streets.

In Spokane, Wash., the county library has become a convener by bringing local residents together to talk about their shared aspirations for their communities and helping people find ways to act on those aspirations; its efforts are combating the divisive and often toxic public discourse we too often experience in public life and politics nowadays. And in Washington, D.C. the new library director envisions the public library being a place for workplace innovation, meant to facilitate the creative economy at all levels.

At a time when so many organizations and groups have turned inward to protect their own good – their fund-raising, turf, and at times overly narrow agendas – libraries are a uniquely trusted local institution that has as its mission the health and vitality of the communities it serves.

They are one of the last protectors of the common good.

That’s why I’m placing my bets on libraries. In addition to the work in Texas, we also have been working with libraries from across the country over the past two years in a partnership with the American Library Association, supported in part by a grant from the Gates Foundation. And I’ve had the good fortune to speak at scores of state library association and other conferences from New Jersey to Idaho, Michigan to Maine.

Now is not the time to cut support for libraries. It should be vastly increased. This is not some feel-good cause harkening us back to a bygone era; rather it is a hard-headed, strategic investment in the common good. People want to restore their faith that we can come together and get things done; that we can produce a sense of possibility and hope in our communities for all people. Libraries are essential in helping us build this new path.

….”In the past four years, Realize Bradenton has undertaken big civic projects that transformed the city’s Riverwalk and the Village of the Arts. Both of these projects involved college students “as drivers for the big ideas.”

Bradenton Herald-Tribune

By TERRY GALVIN

April 6, 2015

….”In the past four years, Realize Bradenton has undertaken big civic projects that transformed the city’s Riverwalk and the Village of the Arts. Both of these projects involved college students “as drivers for the big ideas.”

Perhaps most significantly, the group last year took part in the Aspirations to Actions initiative of The Patterson Foundation, in partnership with the Harwood Institute, to hold community conversations with millennials, asking them what they wanted in their community.

Those conversations showed their top priorities included “more diverse opportunities for social gatherings that are outside of the typical bar scene. Millennials want to get off the bar stool and engage in experiences that they can shape, as well as influence topics such as housing, transportation, and technology,” according to Realize Bradenton.

Its winning proposal to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation’s Knight Cities Challenge aims to do just that.”…